License editions: To understand the applicable license editions, see Plans & Pricing.
Overview
Administrators and end users can now directly restore Google Drive data back into their Google Drive accounts or devices.
An administrator can perform Google Drive restore using the inSync Management Console.
An inSync end user can perform Google Drive restore using the inSync Web console.
Restore Google Drive data using the inSync management console
❗ Important
For existing inSync Google Workspace customers, to utilize the native restore feature for Google Drive, administrators must reconfigure the Google Workspace Org in the inSync Management Console. For instructions, see Re-configure Google Workspace.
Using inSync, administrators can restore Google Drive users' data directly to their Google Drive account or to their user devices. Administrators can also restore data from one Google Drive user to another user's Google Drive account. Google Drive data of a user backed up using inSync can be restored at the following locations:
User's devices
User's Google Drive account
Different user's Google Drive account
Procedure
❗ Important
Google Workspace data cannot be restored to a mobile device.
Files with identical names cannot be restored to devices simultaneously.
A user's Google Drive backup cannot be restored to a shared drive, and vice versa.
Restore Google Drive data to the user's devices or Google Drive account:
💡 Tip
If the Enterprise Search feature is enabled for your organization, you can filter your search results using different metadata attributes. For more information, see Search backed up data to restore.
On the Users page, click the username of the user whose data you want to restore and click Restore Data. Under Select a data source, select Google Drive.
Select the snapshot you want to restore on the Restore Data window.
You can perform a restore operation using one of the following ways:
For a complete restore: Browse and select the required snapshot and click Restore.
For a selective file or folder restore, Use the search option to find a specific file or folder and easily restore it.
On the Restore window, provide the following details and click Restore.
Field | Action |
Restore Location | Select one of the following restore locations:
inSync creates a new inSync-restore-<date stamp>-<time stamp> folder and restores the selected data to this folder. 📝 Note When you restore a Google Workspace folder or file to a different user, the restored folder or file ownership changes to the restored user. |
Restore Options | Select how you want to restore the data.
📝 Note
|
Retain share settings | Select this checkbox if you want to retain the file-sharing settings for the selected data.
By default, inSync does not retain the sharing settings during Google Drive data restore. 📝 Note This field is displayed only if you choose to restore the data to the same user's account. |
After a successful restore, few things to consider:
All the file and folder properties and the permissions associated with them are restored as is.
For Example:
User ABC backs up a file or folder XYZ with the write and the share link permissions assigned to it. When the user ABC restores the XYZ file or folder, the restored XYZ files or folders will continue to have the write and share link permissions.
In case of folders or files with the same name that is renamed to <folder|file-guid> within inSync, it is restored with its actual folder or file name at user’s Google Drive account.
For Example:
User ABC backs up a file or folder with Backup_Restore.txt file name. User ABC backs up another file or folder with Backup_Restore.txt file name.
Within inSync, this file or folder is backed up with a GUID appended to it - Backup_Restore.txt-0180J7
When the user ABC restores the Backup_Restore.txt-0180J7 file or folder on the Google Drive Account, the file or folder is restored as Backup_Restore.txt.
Restore Mails, Contacts, and Calendar to Google Workspace
Restoring data like Mails, Contacts, and Calendars benefits an organization by ensuring the restored data is available for future reference and business continuity. Organizations can retrieve this data in case of accidental deletion or malicious activities. inSync also allows you to restore an entire mailbox or mailbox items individually such as Mails, Contacts, and Calendars.
You can restore an entire mailbox or mailbox items individually such as Mails, Contacts, and Calendars.
Restore the entire mailbox of a user
You can restore the entire mailbox in a single click.
To restore entire mailbox of a user,
On the Users page, click the username of the user whose data you want to restore and click Restore Data. Under Select a data source, select Gmail.
Select the snapshot you want to restore on the Restore Data window.
Select all folders and click Restore.
On the Restore Data window, provide details on the following click Restore.
Field | Description |
Restore Location | Restore to the same User Account: Select this option to restore the data to the same user’s account.
Restore to the Different User Account: Select this option to restore the data to a different or another user’s account.
Enter Name or Email: Start typing the name or email of the user, and inSync will auto-suggest usernames. Select the required username.
📝 Note ThisEnter Name or Emailfield is displayed only if you choose to restore the emails to a different user's account. |
Include In-Place Archive mails | Select this option to restore the In-Place Archive emails. ❗ Important
📝 Note This option is available when you select Mails folder. |
Restore Options | Select how you want to restore the data.
In-Place Restore: Overwrites the existing data with the data selected from the snapshot.
Restore Deleted items Only: This option is available only when you select In-Place Restore and restores only the deleted emails to the respective folder locations within the primary mailbox.
Restore as a Copy: Creates a new inSync-Restore-<date stamp>-<time stamp> folder and restores the selected snapshot to this folder.
📝 Note These restore options are displayed only if you choose to restore the data to the same user's account. |
Restore mailbox items individually
You can restore mailbox items individually, such as emails, contacts, and calendars.
Restore Mails
To restore Mails,
On the Users page, click the username of the user whose data you want to restore and click Restore Data. Under Select a data source, select Gmail.
Select the snapshot you want to restore on the Restore Data window.
Do one of the following:
To restore emails backed up within a specific period, select Mails and click Restore. On the Restore window, provide the following details:
Restore Location
Restore to the same User Account: Select this option to restore the data to the same user’s account.
Restore to the Different User Account: Select this option to restore the data to a different or another user’s account.
Enter Name or Email: Start typing the name or email of the user, and inSync will auto-suggest usernames. Select the required username.
📝 Note: This Enter Name or Email field is displayed only if you choose to restore the emails to a different user's account.
Include In-Place Archive mails - Select this option to restore the In-Place Archive emails.
The In-Place Restore option restores archived mails under the "In-Place Archive <username>" folder. The Restore as a Copy option restores the data under the user's primary mailbox only. In-Place Restore: The selected data within the snapshot overwrites and replaces the data under the In-Place Archive <username> folder in the user's mailbox. Restore as a Copy: Creates a new inSync-Restore-<date stamp>-<time stamp> under the primary mailbox of the user and restores the selected snapshot with the data and subsequent folders like Inbox, Sent, Deleted Items, and so on to this new folder.
📝 Note:
This option is available when you select only Mails folder.
Restore Options - Select how you want to restore the data.
In-Place Restore: Overwrites the data in the user's primary mailbox with the selected snapshot.
Restore Deleted items Only: This option is available only when you select In-Place Restore and restores only the deleted emails to the respective folder locations within the primary mailbox.
📝 Note:
These restore options are displayed only if you choose to restore the data to the same user's account.
Restore as a Copy (Default option): Creates a new inSync-Restore-<date stamp>-<time stamp> folder within the user's mailbox and restores the selected snapshot to this folder.
To restore individual mailbox labels or individual emails
Click Mails and browse the mailbox.
Select the mailbox labels or emails that you want to restore and click Restore. Alternatively, you can also use Search to search for emails that you want to restore. Click the email to view its details like sender, receiver, attachments and so on. On the Restore window, provide the following details:
Restore Location
Restore to the same User Account: Select this option to restore the data to the same user’s account.
Restore to the Different User Account: Select this option to restore the data to a different or another user’s account.
Enter Name or Email: Start typing the name or email of the user, and inSync will auto-suggest usernames. Select the required username.
Note: This Enter Name or Email field is displayed only if you choose to restore the emails to a different user's account.
Restore Options Select how you want to restore the data.
In-Place Restore: Overwrites the data in the user's primary mailbox with the selected snapshot.
Restore Deleted items Only: This option is available only when you select In-Place Restore and restores only the deleted emails to the respective folder locations within the primary mailbox.
Note: These restore options are displayed only if you choose to restore the data to the same user's account.Restore as a Copy: Creates a new inSync-Restore-<date stamp>-<time stamp> folder within the user's mailbox and restores the selected snapshot to this folder.
Click Restore. During the restore activity, inSync creates an inSync-restore-
<date stamp>-<time stamp>label inside the user's mailbox and restores all emails in this folder.
📝 Note
While restoring mails as a copy on Gmail, inSync might display an "ErrorFolderSavePropertyError" error. This error is displayed when inSync tries to restore a folder that has more than 255 characters in its name. This is an API limitation.
Restore Contacts
To restore Contacts,
On the Users page, click the username of the user whose data you want to restore and click Restore Data. Under Select a data source, select Gmail.
Select the snapshot you want to restore on the Restore Data window.
Do one of the following:
To restore all contacts, select Contacts and click Restore.
To restore a contact group or an individual contact, click Contacts and browse the contact or contact group that you want to restore and click Restore.
On the Restore window, provide the following details:
Restore Location
Restore to the same User Account: Select this option to restore the data to the same user’s account.
Restore to the Different User Account: Select this option to restore the data to a different or another user’s account.
Enter Name or Email: Start typing the name or email of the user, and inSync will auto-suggest usernames. Select the required username.
Note: This Enter Name or Email field is displayed only if you choose to restore the emails to a different user's account.
Restore Options Select how you want to restore the data. The following options are available:
In-Place Restore: Overwrites the contacts in primary Contacts with the contacts selected for restore.
Restore Deleted items Only: Restores only the deleted contacts to the user's primary Contacts.
📝 Note:
These restore options are displayed only if you choose to restore the data to the same user's account.
For in-place restore of Other Contacts, the data is restored in the Others (inSync in-place Restore) label under Contacts instead of the Other Contacts section in Google, due to API limitations.
Other Contacts will only have the following fields backed up due to Google People API limitations.
Name
Phone Number
Email Address
Restore as a Copy: Creates a new Contacts-<date stamp>-<time stamp> folder within the Contacts and restores the data to this folder.
Click Restore. During the restore activity, for contact groups, inSync creates a separate contact group with the following naming convention:
contact group name(inSync Restoredate stamp-time stamp). All individual contacts are restored to their respective contact groups.
📝 Note
The Contacts android app contains additional contact groups such as Co-workers, Friends and so on which are not present in the web version of Contacts. inSync backs up the additional contact groups if the user is using the inSync Android app. During restore, inSync restores the additional contact groups, which the user can view on the web version of Contacts.
While restoring contacts as a copy on Gmail, inSync might display an "ErrorFolderSavePropertyError" error. This error is displayed when inSync tries to restore a folder that has more than 255 characters in its name. This is an API limitation.
❗ Important
Backup and restore of Other Contacts is not supported on GovCloud.
Restore Calendar
To restore Calendar,
On the Users page, click the username of the user whose data you want to restore and click Restore Data. Under Select a data source, select Gmail.
Select the snapshot you want to restore on the Restore Data window.
Do one of the following:
To restore the entire calendar, select Calendar and click Restore.
To restore an individual calendar, click Calendar and browse the calendar that you want to restore and click Restore.
On the Restore window, provide details on the following:
Restore location
Restore to the same User Account: Select this option to restore the data to the same user’s account.
Restore to the Different User Account: Select this option to restore the data to a different or another user’s account.
Enter Name or Email: Start typing the name or email of the user, and inSync will auto-suggest usernames. Select the required username.
📝Note:
This Enter Name or Email field is displayed only if you choose to restore the emails to a different user's account.
Restore Options Select how you want to restore the data. The following options are available:
In-Place Restore: Overwrites the events in primary Calendars with the events selected for restore.
Restore Deleted items Only: Restores only the deleted events to the user's primary Calendars.
📝Note:
These restore options are displayed only if you choose to restore the data to the same user's account.
Restore as a Copy: Creates a new Calendar-<date stamp>-<time stamp> folder within the Calendars and restores the data to this folder.
Click Restore. During the restore activity, inSync creates a separate calendar with the following naming convention:
calendar name(inSync Restoredate stamp-time stamp).
📝 Note
Due to API limitations, While restoring the calendar on Gmail, inSync might display an "
ErrorFolderSavePropertyError" error. This error is displayed when inSync tries to restore a calendar that has more than 255 characters in its name.
The birthday calendar gets renamed to Contacts during the restore due to a Google API limitation.
All Google Calendar attachments are saved in the user's Google Drive account. If the attachment is deleted from Google Drive, inSync cannot restore it while restoring the calendar event.
If you change the default language after a backup in Gmail, the folder names within Gmail itself will update to reflect the new language. However, in the console, both the last restore point and any future restore points will continue to display folder names in the previously selected language, not the newly chosen one.